Funding to cover inheritance tax or estate costs

Probate can move slowly, but bills don't wait. HMRC usually wants inheritance tax within six months of the death. Funeral costs, valuers, and probate fees often need paying before the estate has any cash of its own to pay them with. And a beneficiary can be left waiting many months for a payout they're already relying on.

If any of that sounds familiar, InheritNOW is a funding option worth knowing about. EstateCopilot doesn't lend money and can't guarantee you'll be approved for anything. What we can do is help you spot when this kind of funding might be relevant to your situation, and point you towards InheritNOW to start that conversation.

The three types of funding InheritNOW offers

Inheritance tax loans

If the estate owes inheritance tax and there isn't enough liquid cash to pay it, an IHT loan covers the bill so probate can move forward. The funds are usually paid straight to HMRC, with confirmation sent to you, and the loan is repaid from the estate once it's settled. There are no monthly payments to keep on top of while you're dealing with everything else.

Estate and executor expense loans

This is a flexible drawdown facility for the running costs of administering an estate: things like funeral costs, professional fees, valuers, surveyors, house repairs, insurance, and clearance. You only draw down what you need, when you need it, and it's repaid from the estate rather than out of your own pocket.

Inheritance loans for beneficiaries

If you're a beneficiary (including an executor who's also inheriting) and probate is dragging on, this option gives you early access to part of your expected inheritance rather than waiting for the estate to close fully. It's repaid from your own share, so it doesn't touch what anyone else in the estate is due.

How this fits with EstateCopilot

As you work through your estate in EstateCopilot, the platform already tracks the things that tend to create funding pressure: whether inheritance tax is likely to be due, how the task list is prioritised, and where costs are piling up early in the process. Where that points to a possible cash flow gap, we'll flag it and let you know that InheritNOW is an option worth a look.

From there, it's your call entirely. We're simply making the introduction and giving you the practical context to decide whether it's worth a conversation.

What we can and can't promise

• EstateCopilot is not a lender and has no involvement in, or control over, any funding decision.
• We can't guarantee that you'll be offered funding, or on what terms. That assessment sits entirely with InheritNOW.
• Speaking to InheritNOW doesn't cost anything and doesn't commit you to anything. Fees only apply if you go ahead with a loan.
• InheritNOW is a service of Estate Resolution Technologies (UK) Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

A few common questions

Will this affect other beneficiaries? An inheritance loan for a beneficiary is repaid from that person's own share, so it shouldn't change what anyone else in the estate receives. An IHT loan or estate expense loan is repaid from the estate itself before distribution, the same way HMRC's bill or a funeral invoice would be.

Do I need a solicitor to use InheritNOW? No, though InheritNOW may ask for some information about how the estate is being administered as part of their own checks.

Is there any cost just to ask? No. Getting a quote or talking things through is free. You'd only pay a fee if you decide to go ahead with a loan.

Starting the conversation

If inheritance tax, executor costs, or a slow-moving probate timeline are putting pressure on you or your family, it's worth finding out whether InheritNOW can help. EstateCopilot can point you in the right direction, but the decision, and the funding itself, is between you and InheritNOW.